05/22/2026
We had a wild adventure on World Bee Day!
I went outside to let the cats into the pool fence, and when I returned not 10 minutes later, the yard was buzzing!
We realized this colony of bees chose our forsythia shrubs as a temporary hangout while they searched for a new home. “swarming” like this is what colonies do when they outgrow their home! The current queen and half the worker bees head off to find a new home while the remaining bees stay to raise a new queen.
They were so gentle, and it was amazing to see so many of them close up!
As it turns out, Honey bee colonies trying to make it on their own have a low survival rate in Connecticut. (A combination of the cold, pesticide use, bee mites, and bears, oh my!)
So I turned to my local FB group to see if any local beekeepers had a home for them.
I couldn’t believe how much interest there was!
But finally, it was lovely local farmer Lacie who came to the rescue.
She taught us so much about bee keeping. She talked us through the whole process and let us watch as she transferred the bees into a temporary home.
I don’t think I’ll become a bee keeper any time soon, but it definitely gave me a massive appreciation for the bees!
P.s. while we rely on bees for agriculture pollination here in the US, did you know that they’re actually not even native?!! They were brought here from Europe! (A little reminder that immigrants make America great! 🐝❤️)
happy belated World Bee Day!
